Cameron Hamilton, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, acting administrator who opposed lawmakers’ plan to dismantle the agency, has been fired. Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told CNN that DHS official David Richardson will immediately replace Hamilton, who was escorted from FEMA’s office on Thursday.

“It’s at the discretion of (Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem) to have the personnel she prefers,” McLaughlin told CNN.

The spokesperson, however, didn’t clarify why Hamilton was fired.

What did Cameron Hamilton say to the House Appropriations Committee before getting fired?

As he was giving testimony in front of the House Appropriations Committee, Hamilton said he disagrees with the plan to eliminate FEMA.

“As the senior advisor to the President on disasters and emergency management, and to the Secretary of Homeland Security, I do not believe it is in the best interest [of] the American people to eliminate the Federal Emergency Management Agency,” Hamilton told CNN. “Having said that, I am not in a position to make decisions and impact outcomes on whether or not a determination as consequential as that should be made. That is a conversation that should be had between the President of the United States and this governing body.”

Hamilton described FEMA’s staff as “one of the greatest workforces in the entire federal government,” adding that there are improvements that should be made to the agency.  

“The (FEMA) workforce is tremendous and amazing, and they do a lot of great work, but there’s also systems and processes that are completely antiquated and have to be improved.” Hamilton said. “FEMA is all too often used by states and public officials as a financial backstop for routine issues that frankly should be handled locally. This misalignment has fostered a culture of dependency, waste, [and] inefficiency, while also delaying crucial aid to Americans who are in genuine need.”

What is Donald Trump’s criticism of FEMA?

Donald Trump’s administration claims that FEMA is using “woke” ideologies to get funds. The President has indicated that he will reduce the number of major disaster declarations that are approved for funding. The administration also continues to discuss the idea of dismantling the agency entirely.